The present invention relates to a multifunction watch and in particular to an electronic diary watch provided with an improved data input device.
Recent developments in the electronic industry have rendered possible realization within a small volume complex multifunction electronic circuits. This is, for example, the case of electronic circuits for watches which, in addition to functions of time calculation and display, incorporate auxiliary functions primarily related to time calculation, such as chronometer functions, calendar functions and so on. It is desirable to add to the existing functions of a watch to a diary function for permitting the user to record messages associated with a given date and hour, to read the recorded messages and to get an automatic recall when the recorded data and hour of a message coincide with the actual date and hour of the watch.
Such a diary function is already known, for example, according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,050 which describes an electronic diary comprising a keyboard having one key per alphanumeric symbol and various keys related to different functions. Such a configuration requires a large number of keys and the time required to introduce a message for recording in the diary is relatively long. Moreover, the high number of keys requires a particular skill from the user to avoid actuating a wrong key.
An article published in the journal IEEE Spectrum of April 1977 with the title "Watch Module Permits User to Write a Five Word Message" describes a method for the introduction of alphabetical symbols which requires only two buttons. One of them controls the procession of the twenty six letters of the alphabet on a display and the other one permits introduction of the selected letter. The algorithm for the selection of the letters is sequential, as described in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,545. Such a method of introducing symbols is long and tedious if the number of possible symbols is high.
Another device for the selection of symbols is known from the U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,156 describes an apparatus for communication by handicapped persons. The apparatus has a display of sixty four symbols distributed in four zones. The sequential procession of a luminous pointer on each of the four zones permits the user to select with a pushbutton the zone comprising the desired symbol. The selection of a zone leads the procession of the pointer within that zone. The process is repeated until the desired symbol is selected. For each symbol the user must wait until the luminous pointer is on the zone comprising the desired symbol or on this symbol before to introduce the selected symbol. Such a selection of symbols is particularly time consuming.